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For many years the Russian military suffered from rapid decay in terms of materiel and personnel, until six years ago when the restructuring and modernization of the air force received particular attention.

The bulk of the fighter force is currently composed of four variants of the Sukhoi-27, including the latest bomber version, the Sukhoi-34 .

The six aircraft in Syria provide a long-range capability for delivering GPS-guided munitions, a first for the Russian Air Force.

The bomber force also includes a squadron of 12 older Sukhoi-24s.

Only two squadrons have been upgraded as these are being replaced by the Sukhoi-34 . The Sukhoi-24 has the worst safety record in the Russian Air Force and is labor intensive to maintain.

Six Sukhoi-34, 12 Sukhoi-24, and 12 Sukhoi-25 are no match for four squadrons of Super Hornets.

It is doubtful that there will be new customers for any of the Russian hardware currently advertised in the Syrian war.